5/12 Happenings: Kiki, Gus & Sam Have Big Days; Strand City; Toothpick No-Hits Pirates; HBD Johnny, EA, Bird Eye, Alex, Hank, Evan & Josh

Birthdays:

• 1860 - Umpire EA (Evan Arthur) Griffith was born in Canoe Township, northeastern Indiana County. EA was one of several local connections to the old American Association, umpiring for half a season (46 games, all behind the plate) in 1884. Apparently Griffith liked the profession but wanted a little more action; he later became a college football ref.
• 1868 - 2B Harry “Bird Eye” Truby was born in Kittanning. He played two seasons in the show with his final eight games as a Pirate in 1896 when his contract was purchased to replace an injured Louie Bierbauer, and he batted .156 to end his MLB career. He was traded 11 days later to Albany for Dick Padden. Truby did put in 20 pro seasons, playing his last game in 1907. He umpired briefly and then went on to his life’s work.

Alex McCarthy 1912 T207 

• 1889 - Light hitting (.229 career) and slick fielding reserve infielder Alex McCarthy was born in Chicago. The Notre Dame product played for the Bucs from 1910-1917, with a brief stop in Chicago where the Pirates sold him in September of 1915 and then brought him back the following July, hitting .226 during his eight Pittsburgh campaigns. He was originally a shortstop, but couldn’t beat out a guy named Honus Wagner.
• 1916 - RHP Hank Borowy was born in Bloomfield, New Jersey. After spending most of his time with the Yankees and Cubs, the Pirates were one of three teams that he played for in 1950, getting into 11 games as a Bucco swingman and going 1-3/6.39 after he was bought from the Phils; after 10 weeks, he was sold to the Tigers. He had been a stalwart of the Bronx Bombers in the first half of his career, but in the final years suffered from chronic blisters and a sore shoulder.
• 1922 - RHP Johnny Hetki was born in Leavenworth, Kansas. He spent the final two campaigns (1952-53) of his eight year career with the Pirates, posting a 7-10/4.38 slash in that time, mostly as a reliever. Johnny tossed in the Venezuelan Winter League where he had a couple of spotlight moments. Hetki hurled an 18-inning game for his club, Magallanes, setting a record that still stands (and for a tie game, yet!) He later pitched a complete game victory for Magallanes in the 1952 Caribbean Series, an 11-inning, 2–1 victory against the Panamanian champions, the Carta Vieja Yankees.

Josh Phelps (photo via All Star Collectibles)

• 1978 - 1B Josh Phelps was born in Anchorage, Alaska. Phelps spent eight years in the show, mostly as a Blue Jay, and split 2007 between the Yankees and Pirates, joining Pittsburgh in June after the NYY waived him, as a replacement for demoted Brad Eldred. He swung it pretty good for the Bucs, hitting .351 with five homers in 77 at-bats, and he signed with the Cards as a free agent after the year. He got into 19 games late in the season for the Redbirds and that was his last MLB stop. Josh’s 64 career homers are the most banged by an Alaskan-born player.
• 1983 - RHP Evan Meek was born in Bellevue, Washington. The Rule 5 pick up spent five years (2008-12) as a Pirate and at one point looked like the closer of the future after an All-Star season in 2010, tossing to a 2.14 ERA in 70 appearances. But various arm injuries took their toll on his promising career. He only made one more MLB stop after his Bucco days, in 2014 with Baltimore. He’s now pitching indy league after splitting 2015 between the minors and a stint in Korea.

Happenings:

• 1908 - The Bucs defeated the NY Giants 5-3 at Exposition Park as Sam Leever outlasted Iron Man McGinnity. The G-Men overcame a 2-0 deficit in the eighth to take the lead; Pittsburgh answered with a three-spot of its own. Hans Wagner was the hero. He tripled home the tying and winning run, then swiped home on the back end of a double steal for the insurance tally. The Dutchman had three of the Pirates five hits to go with a walk.
• 1925 - Kiki Cuyler went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, four RBI, and five runs scored in a 13-9 win over the Phillies at the Baker Bowl. Glenn Wright added three more knocks and drove in three runs. Starter Ray Kremer was knocked out of the box without getting an out; Lee Meadows worked seven frames for the win with Babe Adams earning a six-out save. It gave Pittsburgh a split of a twin bill as Vic Aldridge lost the opener 8-5 despite three hits by Max Carey and a Clyde Barnhart homer. 

Gus Suhr 1933 Goudey

• 1930 - Gus Suhr had a homer, double, and three RBI while Adam Comorosky went 3-for-3 with a pair of two baggers as the Pirates broke out of a 7-out-of-8 game losing streak with a 6-2 win over the Brooklyn Robins at Forbes Field. Erv Brame tossed a complete game six-hitter.
• 1955 - Rookie RHP Sam "Toothpick" Jones of the Cubs no-hit the Pirates 4-0‚ fanning Dick Groat, Roberto Clemente and Frank Thomas in the ninth after walking the bases loaded (he walked seven - two DPs and a caught stealing negated that pretty well - and struck out six). It was the first no-hitter in Wrigley Field since 1917‚ and the first MLB no-hitter tossed by an African-American pitcher. Sadly for Jones and posterity, only 2,918 fans showed up.
• 1994 - The Pirates and Zane Smith lost to the Phillies, 6-4, and stranded 17 runners at Veterans Stadium‚ one shy of the NL record for a nine inning game. The Bucs wasted 14 hits (every Pirate position starter had a rap; five of them had two knocks), nine walks and a Philly error by going 1-for-15 with RISP against four Philadelphia pitchers.